Chicago Fire vs. FC Dallas | MLS Match Preview

MLSsoccer staff

Chicago Fire vs. FC Dallas
TOYOTA PARK, Bridgeview, Ill.
August 2, 2015 (MLS Game #222)
7 pm ET (Fox Sports 1, FOX Deportes, TSN2, MLS LIVE)

The Brimstone Cup is once again on offer when the Chicago Fire play host to FC Dallas in the only meeting of the teams this season, Saturday evening at Toyota Park. The Fire had their current winless run extended to three games last weekend, the New England Revolution coming back for a 2-2 at Toyota Park. FC Dallas are the league’s hottest team, their winning streak now at five matches following a dominant 4-1 win against the Portland Timbers on Saturday evening at Toyota Stadium.

The Fire were able to put an end to a two-game losing skid, but were still pegged back into a 2-2 draw with the New England Revolution last weekend at Toyota Park.
FC Dallas won a fifth consecutive game – one away from the club record, the longest since winning six in a row over the end of 1999 and start of 2000 – as Michael Barrios scored two goals in a game for the first time in MLS in a 4-1 win against the Portland Timbers last weekend.
The Fire have won the Brimstone Cup – awarded by the two supporters’ clubs of the two teams so named when it matched the Fire and the Burn – each of the last three years, following a 1-0 win last year at Toyota Park in the only meetings between the teams. Dallas had won the season series between the clubs every year from 2001-11.
The Fire have won the last meetings at Toyota Park. When they won there in 2012, it was the club’s first win ever in Bridgeview, their last previous home win coming in 2005. It was also the first for the Fire in the all-time series since 2009.

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REFEREE: Jair Marrufo. AR1 (bench): Eric Boria; AR2 (opposite): Peter Balciunas; 4th: Fotis Bazakos
MLS Career: 186 games; FC/gm: 23.4; Y/gm: 2.9; R: 34; pens: 53

SUSPENDED: none
WARNINGS:
SUSPENDED NEXT YELLOW CARD: CHI: Eric Gehrig, Guly do Prado … DAL: Atiba Harris, Ryan Hollingshead
SUSPENDED AFTER TWO YELLOW CARDS: CHI: Chris Ritter, Adailton … DAL: Matt Hedges, Victor Ulloa, Dan Kennedy
DISABLED LIST: none
INTERNATIONAL ABSENCES: none

HEAD-TO-HEAD
ALL-TIME (38 meetings): Fire 14 wins (1 shootout), 59 goals … FC Dallas 20 wins (2 shootout), 70 goals … Ties 4
AT CHICAGO (20 meetings): Fire 10 wins (1 shootout), 34 goals … FC Dallas 8 wins (1 shootout), 30 goals … Ties 2

LAST YEAR (MLS)
8/30: CHI 1, DAL 0 (Earnshaw 83)

This is the only league meeting between the teams this season.
The Fire have won the Brimstone Cup – awarded by the two supporters’ clubs of the two teams so named when it matched the Fire and the Burn – each of the last three years, following a 1-0 win last year at Toyota Park in the only meetings between the teams. Dallas had won the season series between the clubs every year from 2001-11.
The Fire have won the last meetings at Toyota Park. When they won there in 2012, it was the club’s first win ever in Bridgeview, their last previous home win coming in 2005. It was also the first for the Fire in the all-time series since 2009.
Coaches record: Oscar Pareja vs. CHI: P3 W1 L2 D0 … Frank Yallop vs. DAL: P29 W15 L8 D6